Fire damages home on city’s north side

Paul Sims/SDN
Fire tore through this home on Eutaw Street on Starkville’s north side early Thursday morning. City fire officials continued to investigate the cause Thursday afternoon.

An early-morning fire Thursday heavily damaged a home on the city’s north side.
The call to 168 Eutaw St. came in around 4:50 a.m., city Fire Marshal Stein McMullen said. Units first arriving found flames vented out of the roof and a neighbor had knocked on the door to see if anyone was home, he said.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control by about 5:30 a.m. and continued to fight hot spots until about 7:30 a.m., McMullen said, noting no one was at home at the time of the fire.
Linda Livingston said she and her daughter Sheri Ann Justice were staying at the residence of Livingston’s fiance overnight when a neighbor called to inform her the home was ablaze.
Fire tore through the residence, leaving a large segment of the home’s upper floor open to the elements.
Livingston said the house contained clothing and other items, including family photos she hoped could be salvaged.
It was unclear Thursday whether the property was insured.
The fire’s cause remained under investigation Thursday afternoon, McMullen said.
Fire officials referred the family to Oktibbeha-Starkville Emergency Response Volunteer Services, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army for help.